One good aspect of this book is organization--the patterns are put in the book in order of difficulty, which is a great way to make sure you pick a pattern that you can handle. Another excellent aspect is the introduction with its clear explanation of how to start designing your own bargello pieces, particularly showing how to adapt and adjust the designs in the book. It shows you how just about every pattern can be adjusted to create a very different look by altering the number of canvas threads that are covered and skipped or by altering the colors.

The book also shows you how to make working the patterns easier--what line or frame to do first and how to center the pattern. In addition, it clearly illustrates the different effects of using various kinds of yarn. Although most of PF's patterns are photographed worked in traditional 3-ply Persian wool, one is in rug wool, several are in silk, some have silk and wool together, some have a few metallic threads, and one even has some human hair in it. My first reactions was "ick!" but PF explains how synthetic hair (or real) can look metallic and doesn't crack or fray like some metallic threads do. She tells the secret to fixing strays (clear nail polish)--and that is just the information associated with one pattern. The book is full of tips throughout it!

The ten-variations on fused diamonds are a fascinating lesson on how a basic shape can be transformed dramatically by the way it is stitched--filled in a various ways or even masked by using the same color in parts of the pattern to make a section "vanish." The book is all color images and very nicely printed. My copy is always full of post-it notes with scribbled ideas on various ways to adopt or incorporate PF's patterns or color schemes in my future projects. One of the most user-friendly Bargello books ever written!